I laughed out loud at your spring books post...I was writing a post in my head of the very same topic! (I write A LOT of posts in my head, do you?) Part of my decorating for the seasons and holidays is always books. It makes me smile when we pull out a book and Little Think says, "I remember that one!!" like it is the best thing ever.

My personal favorite "Spring Book" is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I reread it every Spring. I don't think there is a better book for making you notice the little things happening around you as the world comes alive. Very inspiring on many levels. And after I read it I just want to get my hands down in some dirt!

I love this copy of the book because it is small enough to tuck in my purse so I read it whenever I'm waiting for things while I'm out and about. It was a series of classics from Barnes & Noble years ago. I was so sad when they stopped making them. They didn't take up much shelf space and they were cheap. I love having a book with me all the time. I get excited when I have to wait at the dentist office because I get to read without guilt.

We especially love the illustration by Margarie Flack on page 8 of all the 21 baby bunnies in the bassinet. The cuteness of those bunny bundles is almost more that I can take.

Another one we read is How Fletcher was Hatched! by Wende and Harry Devlin. It's a story of a dog who feela like his owner, a little girl named Alexandra, doesn't love him as much as the cute little chicks that have just hatched. So his friends Otter and Beaver make him an egg to hatch out of. Would be great for an older sibling dealing with a cute younger sibling as well.

Did you have any scratch and sniff books when you were growing up? I had Golden Books The Sweet Smell of Christmas. I can still smell the hot chocolate smell in that book. Now we have Little Bunny Follows His Nose. Its about a little bunny who can't find anything to do so his mother tells him to "follow his nose". Little Think likes the pickle page best. We only get it out this time of year to try and "preserve" the smells.

Another one that is hard to find these days is The Adventures of Peter Cottontail by Thornton W. Burgess. This is not the Beatrice Potter Peter. (I love, love, love those) This is one of a series of books about different animals written in 1914. My father read them when he was young and then he read them to me growing up at bedtime. They are sweet and slow moving. Full of words, ideals and sentiments not used much today. I think they are great books to start reading aloud to younger children with.

They repeat themselves alot so the story is easy to follow espeically since it takes several nights to read. There are books for Reddy Fox, Sammy Jay, Uncle Billy Possom, Johnny Chuck, etc. We made puppets to act out scenes from the book. They are maybe not for everyone but we love them.

A recent trip with the family to Barnes & Noble introduced me to some new books for the spring. They have a wonderful kids section with little stools where you could read to your kids for days. These are the books the little's brought me to read to them.Chicky Chicky Chook ChookThis book is ever so witty-ly written and the graphics, oh the graphics. Wonderful board book to put in your season basket of booksI also found these coloring books in the kids section and asked myself "What are they doing here?"These should be in every section of the store. I would love these.They are coloring books that makes everyone an artist.

This book is awesome and makes me want to make a quilt that looks just like this. Again another board book wonder for the holiday basket. In My NestBy Sara Gillingham
Illustrated by Lorena SiminovichIt is a finger puppet book that is wonderful

I then got teary when the next book was brought to me.Mr. Pink took a photo of me reading it to her. I was seriously crying I could barely read. This was my favorite book as a child. (heck, look at the cover) My mom would read this to me over and over and over. My mom has a wonderful singing voice and so she did a great job singing the part of the story that is to be sung. I did not do so well. I am just chalking it up to me crying the whole way through. It was almost like a bookstore miracle that my daughter brought me this book to read that night. How did she know to pick that one and where did she find it.

Whatever books you pick up this spring I hope the build the memories I have of my mom reading to me.

Pink::

P.s. How do you think Barnes & Noble feels about me taking photos of their books. I am not sure if that is ligite or not? I am hoping this time they give me forgiveness since I am linking all the books to their site.